Henry Pennings

In his early childhood, Henry Pennings liked to draw.
For example, he made fantasy landscapes with colored pencil that arose unconsciously.
The dream of doing something in the visual arts continued to haunt him. In the 1980s he decided to give up his profession as an electrician and exchange it for that of a painter.
In addition to private lessons with the Amsterdam painter/graphic artist Teun Nijkamp, he developed as an autodidact. This is how he acquired his own style.

The early work of Henry Pennings is characterized by a strong hyperrealism. But in 1998 he switched to the graphic technique of the linoleum cut, which allows greater stylization of the representation.
The black and white linocuts that were created in the beginning look clear and bright. In order to give the scene more 'life', he adds color in his later works by hand, using a brush and acrylic paint.
The color palette is limited; some gradations of flesh color, light blue and soft yellow.

As far as representation is concerned, his work shows a great interest in man. The people are, almost always, placed in front of a uniform background.
What fascinates him is the strong and beautiful side of people. Whether in the form of a physical movement in sports, or in the representation of all kinds of human emotions. He depicts these emotions in a striking way: varying from moments of great exuberance to moments of tranquil intimacy. For example, the work 'until the new moon' shows a moving image of two old people in a loving, comforting embrace.

'In the news, the emphasis in the media is mainly on misery. That focus on the negative is something we have in common with animal survival tactics; a constant alertness to the threat of all kinds of danger lurking in the immediate vicinity. An ancient primary vigilance that is ingrained in our genes for survival. But is it always necessary for a person to behave like an animal? Isn't a person distinguished by his intelligence?'